Process and apparatus for the removal of arrows

ABSTRACT

A tool and process for the recovery of hollow-shafted target arrows which are in a backstop or target member from which the force necessary to remove the arrowhead is likely, if applied to the shaft, to cause distortion of the shaft. The hollow shaft is removed from the arrowhead and the arrowhead is positively engaged by an extractor which will remain intact under the application of the necessary withdrawal force. The arrowhead is withdrawn, disengaged from the extractor, and reaffixed to the arrowshaft.

United States Patent 1 Jandura, Jr.

[ June 24, 1975 PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR THE REMOVAL OF ARROWS John J. Jandura, Jr., Main Rd., Towaco, NJ. 07082 Filed: Feb. 13, 1974 Appl. No.: 442,184

Inventor:

US. Cl. 29/427; 29/242; 29/270; 273/1065 R Int. Cl B23p 19/02 Field of Search 29/426, 427, 235, 240, 29/240.5, 242, 244, 267, 270, 275, 283, 200 H, 203 H, 203 HM; 273/1065 R, 106.5 A, 106.5 8,106.5 C, 106.5 D; 81/177 R, 177 A; 16/110 R References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Moeller 29/275 2,904,338 9/1959 Podufal 273/1065 B 3,117,474 l/l964 3,319,326 5/1967 Unglesby 29/283 Primary ExaminerC. W. Lanham Assistant ExaminerJames R. Duzan [5 7] ABSTRACT 8 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR THE REMOVAL OF ARROWS This invention relates to archery. More particularly, this invention relates to archery techniques in which arrows having hollow shafts. c.g. hollow aluminum shafts, are employed.

Normally in archery events arrows are shot at targets from which the arrows may be withdrawn with relatively little effort.

Occasionally, however, arrows may miss the principal target and become embedded in a wooden backstop or support, such as a sheet of plywood, side of a building, or a tree. In many instances removal of arrows which are relatively firmly embedded in such a substrate presents a particular problem since the force which must be applied to the hollow shaft to pull the arrow free may be sufficient to bend or deform it.

Accordingly, it is an ,object of the present invention to provide for the recovery of hollow-shafted arrows which have their heads firmly embedded in a target or other substrate from which the, force necessaryfor removal is likely, if applied to the wallsof the hollow shaft, to cause deformation thereof.

Another object of the invention is an apparatus for positively engaging and removing arrowheads from a substrate in which they are firmly embedded.

In accordance with the present invention, an archery process comprises discharging from a bow an arrow having a shaft and a head threaded thereto, said head being of a diameter not greater than said-shaft, embedding said headin a substrate from which the force necessary for removal of said arrow may be sufficient to cause deformation of said shaft if applied thereto, unthreading said shaft from said embedded arrowhead, threadably engaging said arrowhead with an extractor havingan outer diameter notfgreater than said shaft, extracting said arrowhead from said substrate and recovering said arrowhead, and rethreading saidrecovered arrowhead to said. shaft.

Further in accordance with the present invention is an arrowhead extractor for use with arrowheads which have been embedded in an arrowhead retaining substrate and from which an associated hollow arrowshaft has been unthreaded, said extractor comprising a handle member, a tubular shank member projecting therefrom and having a diameter not greater than said arrowshaft and thread means at the distal end of said tubular shank member for mating engagement with said arrowhead, said handle member being characterized by a circumferentially ridged surface to improve frictional hand engagement therewith.

The object advantages and characteristics of the instant invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 illustrates pictorially an archer on an archery range;

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal section of an arrow embedded in a wooden backstop for an archery target;

FIG. 3 is a view of the arrow of FIG. 2 taken from the butt end;

FIG. 4 illustrates the disengagement of the arrowshaft of the arrow of FIG. 2 from the head thereof while the head thereof remains embedded in the target backstop;

FIG. 5 illustrates the completely disassembled arrowshaft and arrowhead of FIG. 4;

FIG.'6 illustrates in fragmented vertical section an extractor for use with the arrowhead of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 illustrates the engagement of the extractor of FIG. 6 with the arrowhead; and

FIG. 8 illustrates the extraction of the arrowhead from the backstop while positively engaged with the extractor.

In the drawings, an archer 10 is depicted pulling the bow string 12 on a bow 14 aimed at a target 20 already having therein a first arrow 22. The archer is preparing to discharge a second arrow 24 toward the target 20, which is mounted on a backstop 30 consisting of a rectangular sheet of fir plywood.

As better illustrated in FIG. 2, occasionally a target arrow 33 will miss the target 20 which is composed of straw or other matted material, and become firmly embedded in the wooden backstop 30 therefor, or in another wooden object .in the vicinity of the target, e.g.,

'a tree, building wall, or the like.

The target arrow 33 consists of a hollow, thin-walled aluminum shaft 40 which is fletched with plastic guide vanes 42 atthe butt end 44. The butt end 44 of the shaft 40 is closed by a molded plastic closure fitment 48 affixed thereto. The closure fitment 48 carries a nock 50 for accepting the bowstring 12.

At the forward end 60 of the arrowshaft 40, there is a cylindrical recess 62, extending rearwardly to an internally projecting shoulder'64. Immediately behind the shoulder 64, the hollow shaft 40 carries a female thread 66 on the interior surface of the shaft wall.

The target arrowhead consists of a solid body having four sections, each of approximately the same length. The first, or forward section 72, tapers outwardly from its forward point to the full, maximum diameter of the arrowhead. The second section 74 is cylindrical and of the same diameter as the outside diameter of the shaft 40. The third section 76 is also cylindrical but is of slightly reduceddiameter, having substantially'the same diameter as the recess 62 in the forward end of the arrowshaft. The fourth section is a threaded, rearwardly extending projection of yet further reduced diameter, protruding from a shoulder 82 at the rear end of the third section, and is threaded to mate with the thread 66 on the interior of the shaft.

When the target arrowhead 70 is assembled to the shaft 40, the first two sections 72 and 74 of the head project outwardly, and the rear two sections 76 and 80 are received in and engaged with the interior of the forward end of the shaft 40.

As is apparent from the drawings, the shaft 40 is fabricated of thin-walled aluminum, which is relatively soft and quite subject to deformation. Thus, when the arrowhead is firmly embedded in a substrate such that it is necessary to exert substantial force upon the arrowshaft in an effort to withdraw the head, the shaft is quite vulnerable to deformation. Thus, it is preferred not to exert even a longitudinal force on the order of more than about three pounds on an arrowshaft for fear of distortion thereof.

The extractor 85, best illustrated in FIGS. 6-7, has a forwardly projecting tubular shank of the same outside diameter as the outside diameter of the arrowshaft 40, thereby facilitating engagement of the extractor with the arrowhead 70 in those instances in which the arrowhead is completely buried in a substrate.

The distal end of the tubular shank 90 contains a machined recess 92 which is complementary to the third section 76 of the arrowhead 70. An adjacent hollow section in the tubular shank 90 is threaded with a female thread 94 to accept and engage with the thread on the arrowhead 70.

At its back end, the extractor 85 carries a hand grip section 96 of enlarged diameter at least one and onehalf times the diameter of the tubular shank 90. The handgrip is provided with a scored surface to facilitate grasping thereof.

As illustrated in FIG. 4-8, once an arrowhead 70 has become embedded in a backstop 30 from which removal is difficult, the shaft 40 is removed from the embedded arrowhead 70 by unscrewing and removing the shaft. The extractor 85 is then screwed onto the rear half of the arrowhead 70 until full positive engagement of the thread 94 and threaded section 80 is achieved,

and the extractor also fully envelopes the third section 76 of the arrowhead, butting against the back shoulder of the second section 74 thereof.

The extractor is constructed with considerably greater strength and integrity than the soft aluminum arrowshaft. Thus, considerable withdrawal and twisting force may be applied to remove the solid arrowhead from the substrate, as illustrated in FIG. 8.

Following removal of the arrowhead from the substrate, the arrowhead 70 is unscrewed from the extractor 85 and is reinstalled on the arrowshaft 40 to reconstitute a complete arrow as illustrated in FIG. 2.

What is claimed is:

1. An archery process which comprises discharging from a bow an arrow having a shaft and a head threaded thereto, embedding said head in a substrate from which the force which must be applied to said shaft to effect removal of said arrow may be sufficient to cause deformation of said shaft if applied thereto, unthreading said shaft from said embedded arrowhead, threadably engaging said arrowhead with a mating threaded end of a greater strength extractor tool having an outer diameter not greater than said shaft, extracting said arrowhead from said substrate by use of saidextractor tool. recovering said arrowhead by unthreading said recovery arrowhead from said extractor too] threaded end, and rethreading said recovered arrowhead to said shaft.

2. An archery process as set forth in claim 1 in which said arrowhead is embedded in a wood substrate.

3. An archery process as set forth in claim 1 wherein recovery of the arrowhead necessitates applying a withdrawl force of at least three pounds in order to extract said arrowhead from said substrate.

4. An archery process as set forth in claim 1 wherein recovery of the arrowhead necessitates applying withdrawl and generally axial twisting forces.

5. An arrowhead extractor for use with archery arrows having relatively deformable and breakable arrowshafts and arrowheads which are embedded in an arrowhead-retaining substrate and from which an associated arrowshaft of an embedded arrowhead has been unthreaded and removed from thread means on a neck portion of said arrowhead, said extractor comprising a handle member, an elongated shank member projecting therefrom and having a diameter at least at a distal end thereof not greater than said arrowshaft, said extractor shank member being of substantially greater strength than that of said arrowshaft to facilitate the extraction, and thread means at the distal end of said extractors elongated shank member for mating engagement with complementary thread means of said arrowhead.

6. An arrowhead extractor as set forth in claim 5 in which said extractor handle member is of greater diameter than its said elongated shank member.

7. An arrowhead extractor as set forth in claim 6 in which said extractor handle member is circumferentially ridged.

8. An arrowhead extractor as set forth in claim 5 in which said elongated shank member is of tubular form and is of the same outside diameter throughout its length as said arrowshaft. 

1. An archery process which comprises discharging from a bow an arrow having a shaft and a head threaded thereto, embedding said head in a substrate from which the force which must be applied to said shaft to effect removal of said arrow may be sufficient to cause deformation of said shaft if applied thereto, unthreading said shaft from said embedded arrowhead, threadably engaging said arrowhead with a mating threaded end of a greater strength extractor tool having an outer diameter not greater than said shaft, extracting said arrowhead from said substrate by use of said extractor tool, recovering said arrowhead by unthreading said recovery arrowhead from said extractor tool threaded end, and rethreading said recovered arrowhead to said shaft.
 2. An archery process as set forth in claim 1 in which said arrowhead is embedded in a wood substrate.
 3. An archery process as set forth in claim 1 wherein recovery of the arrowhead necessitates applying a withdrawl force of at least three pounds in order to extract said arrowhead from said substrate.
 4. An archery process as set forth in claim 1 wherein recovery of the arrowhead necessitates applying withdrawl and generally axial twisting forces.
 5. An arrowhead extractor for use with archery arrows having relatively deformable and breakable arrowshafts and arrowheads which are embedded in an arrowhead-retaining substrate and from which an associated arrowshaft of an embedded arrowhead has been unthreaded and removed from thread means on a neck portion of said arrowhead, said extractor comprising a handle member, an elongated shank member projecting therefrom and having a diameter at least at a distal end thereof not greater than said arrowshaft, said extractor shank member being of substantially greater strength than that of said arrowshaft to facilitate the extraction, and thread means at the distal end of said extractor''s elongated shank member for mating engagement with complementary thread means of said arrowhead.
 6. An arrowhead extractor as set forth in claim 5 in which said extractor handle member is of greater diameter than its said elongated shank member.
 7. An arrowhead extractor as set forth in claim 6 in which said extractor handle member is circumferentially ridged.
 8. An arrowhead extractor as set forth in claim 5 in which said elongated shank member is of tubular form and is of the same outside diameter throughout its length as said arrowshaft. 